Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-08-19
THE OUTLAWS RUSE.

have knocked about good deal in
my time, from doubling Cape Horn as a
sailor to digging gold as u miner, and
fighting Indians as a scout, and yet the
closest escape l ever had from death was
with my eyes wide open and through my
own stupidity. Early in the seventies |
was down in the Indian Territory buy
ing horses for shipment East. l had
partner, and we travelled with our own
team in covered wagon. That territory
isn't any too peaceful now. but in 1913
you not only wanted trusty rifle with
you, but you wanted the knack of drop
ping your man first. Travelling from
ranch to ranch as we did, with every.
body knowing we had money to buy
horses with, our situation was one re-
quiring constant vigilance. There never
was night that both of us slept at once,
and never a day that we were not on the
watch for some plan to get the better of
us. In one trip of three months we had
five different watch dogs poisoned, and
finally gave up trying to keep one. You
might imagine it would have been worth
while for some of the predatory bands
roaming the country to make an open at
tack on us, but the fellows reasoned diff
ferently. A couple of men armed with
Winchesters and revolvers, and deter
mined to defend their own at any cost,
are antagonists not to be despised. Your
Western outlaw, with very few excep-
lions, is just as careful about getting a
bullet into his body as any one else.
One day in July, while we were on the
north fork of the Canadian River, and
about twenty miles below Shawneetown,
one of the horses in our team was bitten
by a rattlesnake. l was driving, and
saw the snake as it lifted itself from the
grass and bit the horse twice on the leg.
1t was hot day, the horses we'll heated
up, and the poison took effect very soon.
We had no remedy for it, but were COM
PEELED to stand by and sec the animal
suffer and die. 1t wasn't quite an hour
after he was struck before he was dead
In buying horses we stipulated for deliv-
cry at certain points, and thus had no
spare ones with us. To make our team
whole one of us must take the other horse
and ride off and make purchase. Ihad
been over the route before, and knew
that the nearest ranch was twelve miles
up the river. 1t was now A o'clock in
the afternoon, and we were within half a
mile of the stream and in wild and
lonely district of the country. We had
with us in tin box in the wagon over
"a, 900 in gold, and the misfortune to
our horse naturally increased our ankle
ties. My partner insisted that Should
be the one to remain with the wagon, and
he had no sooner moved away than l be.
gan to make things secure. The very
first move was to take the tin box from
the wagon and bury it in the ground I'M
der the vehicle, and after that saw that
every firearm was in good order, and beat
around the camp to drive away any rep.
tiles lurking about.
There was no use in expecting Patton,
my partner, back before 8 o'clock OF
later. He would doubtless find suita.
BILE horse at the first ranch, but the ranch
man might be away, or there were 6
dozen other reasons to call for delay. w,
carried provisions with us, and at about
O'Clock built fire and prepared my
supper, and was about to begin eating
when | caught sight of horse and ride
approaching camp from the northwest
four miles, and as l had glass will
me | made out, while the horse wa
yet a mile and half away, that he Dor,
woman on his back. Had she been
squaw the sight would not have oc
casioned surprise, but the first lool
proved that she was white and that he
horse was jadcd and coming slowly. A
l held the glass on her saw her tur
and look back, as one pursued, and Ion!
before she reached me | had becom
greatly interested in her case. She rod
straight for the wagon, and when sh
finally came up her horse was very mucl
blown, and the woman's face seemed t
betray both hope and fear by turns
She was an average looking female, abou
forty years old and as she drew rein be
side me we surveyed each other for ha
minute before either spoke. Durin
that interval l caught an expression 0
her face which did not at all like.
was sly, sinister look, but it passe
swiftly away, and was replaced by one
anxiety. | was the first to speak, sa,
ing:
''Well, are you in troubled"
SIN great trouble, SIR" she replied.
have been living with my brother on
small ranch about fifteen miles distan
Two hours ago dozen drunken Kickapc
Indians visited the place. wounded N
brother, and set fire to the house, an
would have killed me had | not fled {
this horse. They pursued me for sever
miles, and LII
Here she broke down and began to CT
Il 81 l. I.
to dismount, gave her my promise
protection, and say that when my partn
returned we would drive straight to Il
ranch and sacrifice our lives, if need
to rescue her brother and teach Il
Indians a lesson2 She did not cor
down without considerable palave
seeming to be very sensitive about &c
ting me into trouble, and when she d
take seat on the blankets prepared +
her, she continued to cry and lame
and would not touch mouthfu of foo
1t had grown dark by the time l ha
eaten my supper, and it was now tin
to look for Patton. l sought, as al
man would have done under the circur
stances, to cheer the woman up, and
and by she gave over crying and seem
bit more hopeful. She explained til
she had removed to the Territory fro
GAINESVILLE, Ark, three years bcfol
being a widow with one son. The s.
had died within the year, and the broth,
who was an old bachelor, and not
good health, had come on to remain u
til the place could be sold out. A Kicb
poo buck had taken great fancy to t
woman and wanted to marry her, Al
hor indie rof,,soI bod ooiioJ 4 -,